Healing Water From God’s Presence: Jesus and the Feasts of Booths

John 7:1-39 Healing Water From God’s Presence (Jesus and the Feasts of Booths) Introduction: 1. The Feasts of Booths or Tabernacles 1. There were three feasts that the Jews would make pilgrimage to Jerusalem for, they were: Passover, Pentecost, and the Feast of Booths or Tabernacles. 2. The Feast of Tabernacles commemorated the 40 years that Israel spent in the wilderness in tents (booths or tabernacles), camping with God. Jews from all around would make their way to Jerusalem, where Yahweh’s temple was, and there they would build temporary dwellings made out of whatever they could find, and for eight days they would camp out in these dwellings celebrating and remembering. They would particularly call to remembrance God’s provision of manna and water from the rock. Among their prayers prayed would be prayers for provision (particularly for rain), and the resurrection of the dead. 3. The Feast of Tabernacles was like a yearly national camping trip. "All kinds of lavish celebrations took place, involving lighting of lamps, dancing by torchlight, processions that ended (on the eighth day) with the pouring out of water and wine in the temple, and a march of priests and people around the altar carrying citrus fruits and waving palm branches.” 2. Jesus’ Brothers 1. Since the Feast of Tabernacles was taking place, and Jews from all over would be gathered together, Jesus’ brothers see this as a great opportunity for Jesus to make himself known on a national level, and maybe gain back some followers that he recently lost. 2. Jesus brothers challenge him to manifest himself to the world… They believe in him in a superficial sense, he is a wonder worker. So they say, make yourself known, promote yourself…if you are who you say you are and do what you can do, then go to the capital, go to where the people are and make yourself known. 3. But Jesus way is not the way of the world….Jesus is operating in the Fathers timing and according to the Father’s will and the Father’s will involves Jesus sacrificial death at the Feast of Passover not the Feast of Tabernacles. 1. This is important for us to understand because Jesus then turns around and does go up to the Feast but in secret, which is very different from the way he goes to Jerusalem at the Passover Feast. 3. Discussions of chapter 7 vs 14-36 1. Where does Jesus get his doctrine? 1. Jesus response to the people’s inquiry to his teaching should surprise us. We are a culture that celebrates individual expression, and originality. Jesus says that his teaching isn’t his own, it’s not original, he didn’t make it up. In fact he is only doing and saying what the one who sent him told him to do and to say. 1. "The one who speaks on his own authority seeks his own glory; but the one who seeks the glory of him who sent him is true, and in him there is no falsehood.” -Jesus here is showing that he is “The Prophet” that Moses foretold -“I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. And I will put my words in his mouth, and he shall speak to them all that I command him. 19 And whoever will not listen to my words that he shall speak in my name, I myself will require it of him. “ -Deuteronomy 18:18-19 2. Judging superficially? 1. The Jews (the religious leaders) are seeking to kill Jesus for supposedly breaking the Sabbath law. Here Jesus argues with them from the greater to the lesser. Jesus had made someone whole on the Sabbath, how is that breaking God’s command, he asks. Even they (the most religious) over look the Sabbath law when they circumcise a boy who is born eight days from the Sabbath. Not only that but they are seeking to kill Jesus - Murder is forbidden in the Commandments. Of course they are attacking Jesus out of blind jealousy - and it is affecting true judgment. 3. Where does Jesus come from and where will he go? 1. As Jesus points out the problem isn’t that the people don’t know where Jesus comes from the deeper issue is that the people don’t know the One who sent Jesus, if they did, they would know Jesus and where he comes from. 4. Jesus Great Offer 1. We are told that as Jesus spoke the people were believing in him, even the Temple guards are blown away by his teachings - “no one ever spoke like this man.” 2. This compels Jesus to stand up on the last day of the feast and offer himself to the people of Israel as the true giver of Life giving Water. 1. "On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” -John 7:37-38 3. What does Jesus offer have to do with what Jesus is teaching and the Feasts of Tabernacles? 1. Jesus gives us a hint - as the scriptures has said… 2. "Then he brought me back to the door of the temple, and behold, water was issuing from below the threshold of the temple toward the east (for the temple faced east). The water was flowing down from below the south end of the threshold of the temple, south of the altar. 2 Then he brought me out by way of the north gate and led me around on the outside to the outer gate that faces toward the east; and behold, the water was trickling out on the south side. 3 Going on eastward with a measuring line in his hand, the man measured a thousand cubits, and then led me through the water, and it was ankle-deep. 4 Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was knee-deep. Again he measured a thousand, and led me through the water, and it was waist-deep. 5 Again he measured a thousand, and it was a river that I could not pass through, for the water had risen. It was deep enough to swim in, a river that could not be passed through. 6 And he said to me, “Son of man, have you seen this?” Then he led me back to the bank of the river. 7 As I went back, I saw on the bank of the river very many trees on the one side and on the other. 8 And he said to me, “This water flows toward the eastern region and goes down into the Arabah, and enters the sea; when the water flows into the sea, the water will become fresh. 9 And wherever the river goes, every living creature that swarms will live, and there will be very many fish. For this water goes there, that the waters of the sea may become fresh; so everything will live where the river goes. 10 Fishermen will stand beside the sea. From Engedi to Eneglaim it will be a place for the spreading of nets. Its fish will be of very many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea. 11 But its swamps and marshes will not become fresh; they are to be left for salt. 12 And on the banks, on both sides of the river, there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will not wither, nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit every month, because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit will be for food, and their leaves for healing.” - Ezekiel 47:1-12 1. The Old Testament foretold a time when life and healing would flow like a mighty overflowing river from the presence of God (i.e. the Temple) to the ends of the world for the healing of the nations. 2. “The worshippers at the Festival of Booths or Tabernacles looked expectantly to a future time when life giving waters will flow from the temple and invigorate the land, just like water flowed for the ancestors from the rock in the wilderness” This idea this expectancy would already be in the hearts and thoughts of the people. 3. Jesus claim as he stands in the temple at the Feasts of Tabernacles (on the last day as the priest were pouring out the water and wine) is that he is the one (the true temple, the dwelling place of God in the flesh) who gives this life giving, life restoring, living water. 1. John interprets this as the promise of the Holy Spirit that would come after Jesus was glorified - a reference to his crucifixion, death, resurrection and ascension. 4. So here we have the first application of the text. If you are thirsty, if you have not found anything in this life that truly satisfies you, if you want to be satisfied; believe in Jesus and he will give you this living water. 1. The reason you are “spiritually” thirsty is because you were made to be in fellowship with God, to be in relationship with him. God created human beings to run on him as a car runs on fuel…. 2. How does Jesus fit into all of this? Jesus is the one who brings us back into relationship with God - who is the fountain of living waters. He did this by coming from heaven and living the life we could never live and dying the death that we deserve. Jesus death pays for our sin, now we are forgiven, now we are clean. His perfect life gives us favor with God, because he is perfectly righteous all who believe in him are now perfectly righteous. Now that we are in right relationship with God we can receive God’s blessings and gifts and God’s greatest gift that he gives is himself - through his holy Spirit - the Living Water. 1. Do you want this? All you need is nothing. Are you thirsty? Do you believe? Receive God’s gift of life. 5. The Second application applies to those who already believe. 1. Listen again to Jesus’ words: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ ” 39 Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.” -John 7:37-38 1. There is something more here that we might miss simply because we don’t think this way. Maybe because we’re afraid to draw attention to ourselves or we’re afraid of the stewardship that comes with it...“whoever believes in me as the scripture has said, “out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” 2. This verse is not just a reference to what Jesus does for us. it is definitely that, but it is also what he is going to do through us. He is promising to make us into conduits from which the Spirit works to bring healing and salvation to those around us. Amazing! Astounding! 3. Didn’t he say something similar to the woman at the well? - “Whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 4. How can this be? 1. Explain transition -God’s dwelling presence from Garden to Temple, to Christ to Church (made up of individuals), to New Creation. 5. The Church as Temple - “And he came and preached peace to you who were far off and peace to those who were near. 18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father. 19 So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, 20 built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, 21 in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. 22 In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.” - Ephesians 2:17-22 1. This teaching that the Church and individual believers now are the place where God dwells by his Holy Spirit is found all throughout the N.T. (2 Corinthians 6:16; Acts 15:14-18; etc) 6. I read this response to this idea, “My goodness! I surely don’t feel like my little life reflects rivers of living water?!Have I done something wrong, am I not drinking properly, or frequently enough? …Many of us probably feel this in response to this teaching 7. Most spiritually vital christians are, honestly, barely if at all aware of this being so. 8. A well known Bible commentator named Erdman, said, I am now convinced that those Christians are most filled with the Holy Spirit who are least conscious of it. All they know is that they want to serve Jesus Christ, and they feel that they are "unprofitable servants.” 9. In no way is the scripture implying that this has anything to do with us, our righteousness, our finding the divine spark within ourselves. This is nothing that w’eve don, nothing that we have accomplished. This is something that is done to us, in us, and through us. Just like Christ says about his doctrine - this is not originating in us - it comes from the Father, by the work of the Son…. 10. Paul puts it this way in 2 Corinthians 4:5-7 "For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. 7 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.” 1. We are not co-redeemers. We are simply conduits through which God’s Spirit flows to the rest of the world. How else do we see this scripture being fulfilled? How does God’s Spirit work healing in the world? It is mainly through his Church. Corporately as we tackle big issues (sex trafficking, Addiction, genocide, Abortion, adoption, Hunger, the poor, the homeless, racial issues, Evangelism, Peace and community), and individually as we live out our lives in our community and meet and rub shoulders everyday with people that are thirsty, that are needing living water.- We are diffusing the fragrance of Christ in all places and situations. 11. We often want to think that we are waiting for Christ to work, or for the Spirit to fall, but Pentecost already happened. The Spirit has been sent into our hearts, Maybe God is waiting for us…Maybe we think of Paul the Apostle’s conversion or Martin Luther? (Divine interventions) Maybe we should be seeing these as exceptions and not the rule. 12. Remember John’s Gospel is the story of the eternal God (The Logos) who became flesh - touchable, tangible, flesh and blood. The Gospel is meant to do the same in our life. Anyone who believes in Jesus is promised that the Spirit, God’s refreshing personal presence, will come to live within them..God desires to make us conduits of living water through which he can dispense healing to the world around us - his Church is meant to be a foretaste of that great day when healing waters will flow from the presence of the Lord and heal all the nations…what does it take from us? Be what you are. Be what you were recreated in Christ Jesus to be! - A well of living water springing up into Eternal Life.